After Effects
by Beach50
Summary: Instead of leaving town like they originally planned, Jace got arrested in a faulty drug deal. She stays in town to wait for him to be released. Five years later, he is finally a free man, and he is going back home to Clary. Now after so many year, even though they saw each other once a week, they have to relearn how to be around one another.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately, and I feel like people will really like this one.**

_I stood alone, starring at the test. I can't believe this happened. How could we have been so stupid? I tossed the test in the garbage, snatching my phone as it rang. I closed my eyes, trying to contain my feeling. "Hello?" I noticed the unfamiliar number._

_"Clary, thank goodness." Jace exclaimed on the other end._

_"Where are you?" I furrowed my brow, looking in the mirror._

_"I got arrested." He sighed._

_"You what?!" I screeched, as I turned around._

_"I know. I know." He murmured. "Please can you come bail me out?"_

_"What did you do?" I ran my hand through my hair, sitting on the toilet._

_"I got caught dealing to some kids at school. Clary, you're my one phone call." He pleaded._

_"How much?" I asked softly. He said the number. "I don't have that much, Jace." I scratched my scalp._

_"Your dad owes me. It was his drugs. He's the reason my parents are dead. Get him." He said quickly._

_"My dad is out on a job. Jace I can't-" I paused. "I'll try to figure something out I'll be there in an hour."_

_"I love you." He breathed._

_"Love you." I pursed my lips, hanging up. I groaned, chucking a shampoo bottle across my room._

_OoOoO_

_I couldn't come up with the money until tomorrow, but I thought I should still go down the the police station to tell him. I entered the cell where he was being head, after being escorted in. The place was filled with low life, making me cross my arms over my stomach. I've spent my whole life dealing with bad people, but I've never been to prison. Jace quickly stood up, moving towards the cell._

_"Did you get the money?" He asked immediately._

_"No, I told you my dad's out on a job." I leaned against the bars. "I thought you deserved to know why you weren't getting out tonight."_

_"I'm so dumb." He scoffed, gripping his hair, as he rested his head against the bar near mine._

_"I thought you were done dealing for my dad." I whispered, glancing down._

_"I was, but I needed some more money so we could afford college next year, and I was reckless." He traced his finger gently along my jaw through the bars. "I'm sorry."_

_"I'm pregnant." My lip quivered, beginning to feel overwhelmed._

_"What?" His eyes widened at me._

_"I found out an hour ago, and you called. Jace you could go to jail for this." A tear slipped over my cheek, as I looked up at him._

_"Oh my gosh." He rubbed his hands over his face, taking a step back. "I'm going to go to jail, and you are pregnant with my baby." He groaned, kicking the cell wall. "Damn it." He yelled._

_"Calm down." I murmured, biting my lip. He paced for a second before pausing in front of me. "My dad should be able to get you a minimum sentence." I whispered, sniffling loudly._

_"I'm not going to be there for you." His eyes were welled up with tears. "I just wanted to save for college." He wiped the liquid away from his eyes. "I just wanted us to get away from your dad, and away from this life, and I couldn't even do that right." He was fighting back crying, which was making me cry. "I'm so sorry." He swallowed, wiping his eyes._

_"It's ok." I reached in, tangling our fingers together. "My dad has a lot of influence. You'll be ok." I squeezed his hand._

_"It's time for you to leave." A guard ordered._

_"I love you. I'll fix this the best I can." I turned around, striding shakily out of the room. _

Five Years Later

I wasn't able to make it go away even with my father's influence. He runs the local mob. His fingers creep into every pocket in the local government, but Jace had previous arrest. He was able to cut down his sentence, which was all we got. I pulled up into the prisons parking lot, sighing heavily, as I glanced in the rearview mirror. Stephen, our son, was fidgeting in the back. Jace has only been able to hold him once, and that was the day he was born. He was released to the hospital, handcuffed to my bed, and slouched awkwardly in a chair.

I huffed, checking my hair and makeup, before I climbed out of the car. I hoisted Stephen into my arms, making my way through the visitor's entrance. I come in at least once a week, and I try my best to bring Stephen. Jace deserves to see his son. Don't get me wrong Jace had done bad things before he got arrested, but he wasn't a bad guy. His parents were murdered when he was a kid, he was shipped off to his cousins, and the only way he got money was to help my father. He didn't do drugs or hurt people who didn't deserve it. He was a little misguided as a teenager, but he is trying his hardest to be there.

I entered the prison, and was greeted by the usual guards. I came here so often they knew who I was. I set Stephen down, holding my arms out. "Ready for the typical pat down." I grimaced slightly.

"You know its protocol for people who were arrested for drug related things." The guard sighed, stepping over to me. The guard frisked me as usual, and as usual I was all clean. My son was too. He hates it. I hate it. I picked Stephen back up, as we were escorted back to the visitors section. I settled in a chair with Stephen in my lap, playing with his toy car. Jace entered, sitting in the chair across from the glass. He smiled brightly at me, picking up the phone next to him, as I lifted mine up.

"Hi." He beamed, leaning against the small counter.

"Hi." I grinned back, feeling a blush creek along my cheeks.

"Daddy." Stephen exclaimed, slapping his hands to the glass. I giggled, holding the phone to his ear, so he could talk to him. "Daddy says he wants to talk to you." Stephen craned his neck back awkwardly. I flicked my eyes up to Jace's, seeing a strange look on his face.

"Get someone to hold Stephen I need to talk to you." He gestured over to the guard.

"Ok." I shook my head strangely. I stood up, taking him to the guard to hold. "Thank you." I murmured, heading back to Jace. "What is it?"

"They are letting me on patrol early." He stated, memorizing my expression.

"They are?" I raised my eye brows. "When?" I asked curiously, beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. I'm not prepared at all to have Jace come back.

"Tomorrow." He gritted his teeth. "I've been working on a deal with the new DA and your father, and they didn't tell me until the other day, and I haven't seen you since." He bit his lip. I sat there shocked, staring at him. "If you need me to, I can stay at my cousins until you're ready. I would understand if you're not ready for me to move in like we've talked about."

"No, Jace, its fine." I snapped out of my trance, ruffling my hair. "I just wish I would have known. I would have cleaned the house, and-"

"I don't want you to clean the house." He pressed his hand to the glass. "Just the fact that I have a home with you is all I need." He looked so sincere and happy.

"Ok." I blushed, tucking some hair behind my ear. "Do I need to come by and pick you up or…?" I trailed off, beginning to feel extremely nervous.

"Yes, around 5. Is that ok? If not I can get a taxi or something. I don't want to be an inconvenience." He took a deep breath.

"No, you are not taking a taxi." I laughed quietly. "School gets out at 3, so picking you up will be no problem." I assured him. "So I'm going to go, so we don't run out of stuff to talk about because that could happen now." I snorted, shaking my head. "I'll see you 5." I waved, hanging up the phone. I took Stephen, hurrying out the prison.

Jace is coming home.

We could have a real life together.

**A/N: This story is about their after effects of his time in prison and Clary's deals with her father. It will be packed full of different kinds of drama. I'm quite excited to write this.**

**10 reviews for the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello all! I couldn't decide between 5 or 10 reviews, so I switched it back to five because I knew I could get this chapter done by 5. For those of you who have read On the Nile and didn't see that I posted another chapter, I have finished it. Since I didn't get 10 reviews on the last chapter, I honestly just posted the last portion I had written.**

**I also want to clarify that Jace didn't do drug. He got caught dealing them for Clary's father for some extra money.**

I chewed nervously on my lip, waiting outside my car for Jace to come out. I held Stephen's hand, as I began tapping my foot. What if they changed their minds about releasing them? I groaned impatiently, counting to ten. "You ok?" Jace's charming voice entered my ears. A smile cracked across my face, and I opened my eyes. I flung my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Daddy." Stephen squealed, holding his leg tightly.

"Stephen." He smiled, crouching down when I let go of him.

"I can touch you." Stephen clapped his hands over Jace's cheeks. I laughed, seeing their first true interaction since he was a baby. This all felt so foreign, and it made me so happy to see. He lifted Stephen up, propping him on his hip.

"I see you went for the mini-van." Jace teased, kissing Stephen's head.

"Of course I did. I'm an art teacher now." I unlocked the door. "Do you want to get him in his car seat." I gestured to our baby boy.

"Sure." He opened the door. This could be really nice, having someone else around to take care of Stephen is going to be great. Jace slipped into the passenger seat next to me. "I think I got him in safely." He grinned at his accomplishment. I glanced back over to Stephen's car seat.

"You did. Good job." I started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot. "This is so weird." I glanced over at him.

"Yes it is." He chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "I've never done any of this stuff before." He sighed, dropping his head back against the seat.

"Don't worry. It's pretty easy." I turned down another road. "What do you want for dinner? It's your first night as a freeman since you were 17. What do you want me to make you?" I smiled.

"Hmmm why don't I make us cheese sandwiches, and you can make us dinner tomorrow." He suggested. "I owe you a dinner. You didn't have to wait for me. You didn't have to name our son after my father. You didn't need to do any of this for me. The least I can do is make you dinner. His hand curled over mine, squeezing it tightly. The familiar tingle of electricity went down my spine, making shiver. It's still there. The feeling of one another still had the same intensity, or I'm just super horny. Probably both.

It's been 5 years. A hand can only do so much.

I shouldn't be thinking about these things with my son in the car.

I pulled into my driveway, and I could see Jace peeking his head forward to see it. "Come on." I gestured for him to get out of the car. I climbed out, unbuckling Stephen from his seat, as he scurried inside. "His TV show just started." I murmured, leading him inside. "What do you want to do first? Tour, or food, or you can go through your old things, or you could go through my dad's old clothes I got because you obviously out grew your old ones." I rambled, opening the front door.

"So many choices." He laughed, following me through the house.

"Well, I say tour because it's actually a pretty small house." I giggled nervously.

"Bigger than a prison cell." He shrugged.

"So this is the living room." I widened my arms to the room with the sofa and TV. "Kitchen." I pointed to the tables and appliances across the room. "This is Stephen's room." I leaned against the door frame, seeing the small bed and toys sprawled everywhere. "My room- or I guess our room is over there. You can shower if want there is a bathroom in there." I gestured to the end of the hall.

"Yeah, I'll be right back. Get all this jail scum off of me." He shuddered, grinning slightly. I saw his eyes focus on my lips, making my chest tighten. He started to lean in, but he stopped when Stephen yelled for some juice.

"I'll go take care of him." I sighed softly. "Shower and then you can make me dinner." I patted his chest, turning back into the living room.

"Ok." He murmured, walking down the hall. I got juice out of the fridge, handing it to Stephen who was on the couch.

"So is daddy going to live here now?" He looked up at me through his eye lashes.

"Yes he is." I nodded, stroking the blonde haired boys head.

"Is he going to take my room?" He cocked his head to the side.

"No." I snickered, pecking his head. "He's going to sleep with me. Are you ok with him staying here?" I asked timidly.

"Yes, we can play all the time?!" He exclaimed, crawling on my lap. I laughed, resting my chin on his head, as we watched his favorite cartoon.

A half hour later Jace came back out, and started rummaging through the fridge. I went to get up, but he told me to stay where I was. I couldn't help the faint blush on my cheeks at the fact that he was making me food.

OoOoO

Jace walked back into the room, after Stephen had fallen asleep. I stood in the middle of the room, knowing what was going to happen. It's been 5 years since we had been intimate, and we have had so much distance over those years. I haven't touched him in 5 years, if you minus the hug I gave him when he got out. So much has changed. I've changed. He's changed. I'm scared that now that's he's out we won't last because we haven't been in a real relationship since high school. We were kids, but now we are both adults. I gulped, as he stopped in front of me, stroking my cheek with the same tenderness he had the first time we did this. I nuzzled my cheek into his hand, feeling the differences from all those years ago. I used to know every inch of his skin, every scar, every mark, but now it all foreign. There was a pit of worry resting in the bottom of my gut that I wanted to let go of. I wanted to give into him completely, to feel whole again, but my gut told me all this was a lie. I knew it wasn't. I knew he was here. I knew he had nowhere else to go. I knew he loved me. Yet my mind wouldn't rest. "I missed you." He whispered softly, cradling my cheek gently. "We can wait if you want. I know it's been a long time, and I don't want-" I glanced up at him through my eye lashes, which silenced him. I took a deep breath, reaching the hem of my shirt to tug it over my head. I slipped out of my pjs kicking them aside.

"I don't want to wait." My heart started pounding in my chest, as I waited for his response. His response was similar to mind. His shirt and sweats had joined my clothes on the floor. He looked so different. I trailed my fingers over the tattoos and scars that he had gotten. I knew Jace had a rough time in prison, especially in the beginning. He was young and good looking. The bigger guys raped him, and finally when he was strong enough to defend himself, he was almost beaten to death. I remembered bribing a nurse at the hospital to let me in his room, so he wouldn't be alone. He was asleep when I walked in, but when he woke up and saw me, he started crying. He was battered and destroyed. I've always hated the fact that my father was a mob boss, but once Jace was arrested, I've never been more thankful in my life. It got Jace half the sentence he would normally get, and it got him sent to a low security prison after he got hurt. It kept me safe in my apartment. It kept the school from firing me. It kept my son in day care.

"I know I don't look the way I used to." He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Nope." I shook my head. "You got taller and thicker." I squeezed his muscular arms slightly, smiling up him. "I, on the other hand, haven't grown an inch." I snickered quietly. "Got a little pudge though." My comments made a faint grin ghost his lips. "I knew you got these tattoos because I could see a few poke out of your shirt. I always wondered what they were." I breathed, trailing my fingers over them. "They're beautiful. You're beautiful." I assured him.

"You're too good for me." He countered softly.

"The daughter of a mob boss is too good for an ex-con." I teased smiling. "No." I scrunched my nose, shaking my head. "We are just right for each other." I bit my lip, as my worries resided. He leaned down brushing his lips lightly against mine. It made my breath catch in my throat. I miss his mouth. All my desperation over the years flooded through me, making me wrap my arms around his neck to keep him against me. He kissed me heavily, holding my waist with a firm grasp. I missed alarms around me. Man, he got tall. I propped myself onto my tiptoes, so he didn't have to lean down at far. I missed the way he tasted. His tongue moved tentatively into my mouth, feeling against my teeth. My blood felt like it was pounding in my ears, as we drifted closer to my bed. The back of my legs hit the mattress, and he laid me down, standing above me. I scooted myself up to the pillows, waiting for him to come over me. He crawled over me, kissing my neck, my jaw, and then my lips. My moved the same. He kissed the same. He touched the same. That comfort washed over me, as a soft moan escaped my lips. He was Jace, my Jace, nothing was going to change that. He reached behind me, in clasping my bra. He drew back, slowly sliding my bra straps down my arms, and off my body. He tossed it aside, pressing hot open kisses down my body. He got to my panties, and grabbed the rim over them, dragging them down my legs. His eyes memorized me, as he dropped his boxer to the floor. His lips traced up my leg, across my torso, and back up to my mouth.

"I love you." His thumb curled across my jaw, as he leaned in to kiss me again.

"I love you." I tangled my fingers into his hair, weaving our lips together harder.

OoOoO

I woke up curled against Jace's back. I leaned upwards, seeing that it was 4 in the morning. I rubbed my hand over my eyes, noticing one familiar tattoo on his back. I sighed, circling my finger over it. My dad's symbol. When we were younger, he just did favors for my dad for cash, but now he was one of them. "What are you doing?" He grunted, rolling onto his back.

"I didn't think you joined." I whispered, resting my forehead on his shoulder.

"I had to." He stretched his arms over his head.

"I wish you didn't have to." I murmured, slipping out of the covers. I pulled my panties on, tossing him his boxers.

"What are you doing?" He asked, watching me shuffle around the room for a shirt.

"Well, Stephen is going to wake up in about an hour, and I don't want to emotional scar him by seeing us naked." I crawled back into bed with him, snuggling against his side.

"An hour?" He raised his eye brows.

"Yeah, he's an early bird like someone I know." I poked his stomach, making him flinch. I closed my eyes, listening to the familiar heart beat under my ear. "Do you remember when you used to sneak into my room?" I bit back a smile. "And then my dad caught you that one night." I snickered.

"I thought he was going to kill me." He snorted, rubbing my back gently.

"Thank goodness he didn't." I looked up at him. "I missed you." I inhaled his scent, kissing his skin lightly.

"I bet I missed you more." He played with my curls, which lulled me to sleep. Of course I knew I wouldn't last long, but I was going to savior every moment of it.

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **

**Now I will need 10 reviews for this next one because it's late, and I have work tomorrow, therefore I need extra incentive. ;)**

**If you have any ideas for this story, I would love to hear them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I don't know if I mentioned it, but Clary is an art teacher at a high school.**

**Someone asked when Jace joined the mob. As a teenager he was the son of a member. He didn't join in high school because he was planning on moving away from town with Clary. Once he was in prison, he got pretty badly hurt, and had to join the mob for protection against the bigger guys there. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. **

We were both awoken by a child jumping on my bed. Jace laughed, catching him mid-jump. "Why don't we let mommy sleep a little longer." He crawled out of the bed, tucking Stephen under his arm. I smiled, as I watched them leave the room. Jace is going to make my life so much easier. I normally wake up around 5 with Stephen, but I don't really need to wake up at for another two hours, which was exactly what I was going to do.

I dozed off for another two hours, before I emerged from the room, shuffling down the hall to see Jace cuddling with Stephen on the couch. Both of them were asleep. I snorted, fiddling with the coffee maker. They look so much alike. They both had curling blond hair, the same jaw, and the same smile. Stephen did have my eyes though, so people did know that he was mine. I walked over to them, stroking the hair away Stephen's forehead.

"Jace." I whispered, running my fingers down his cheek. "Jace." I murmured a little louder. He flinched awake, rubbing his eyes.

"I fell asleep." He grunted, glancing down at Stephen in his arms.

"That ok." I smiled. "But I need to talk to before I leave." I murmured, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Oh, ok." He shifted the sleeping child to the couch, standing up to walk in the kitchen with me.

"So I normally take him to day care around this time, but since you're here I figured you want to spend the day with him?" I asked, leaning against the fridge.

"Yes, I do." He nodded, sipping his coffee.

"I thought so. I called the day care saying that he wasn't coming. I would prefer if you stayed at the house. Stephen knows where everything is if you can't find something. Umm… The home phone I over there, and I get home around 3:30." I bit my lip trying to think of anything else important.

"Everything is going to be fine." He leaned down, kissing me lightly.

"Ok." I took a deep breath, scratching the back of my neck.

"Clary, I know I haven't been around, but I think I can handle our son for a few hours." He smiled, tangling our fingers together.

"You're right." I shook my head, exhaling. "Bye." I pecked his lips, turning out the door. I don't live very far from the high school, so I got there a few minutes later. As I walked down the hall, I got a phone call. I answered it "Hello, Clary Fray." I entered my classroom, flicking the lights on.

"Clary, I need to see Jace tomorrow." My father said on the other line.

"Dad he just got out of jail. I don't want him doing anything illegal." I sighed, collapsing in my chair.

"Well, I own your little boyfriend, so he does what I tell him to do." He pressured.

"Dad, please, I just got him back." I glanced down, closing my eyes. "Stephen deserves to know his father. It's your fault he was in prison in the first place." I gripped the brim of my nose.

"Have him meet me at my bar tomorrow."

"If I don't?" I countered, seeing the first of my students file in.

"If you don't I can always kick you out of your house and stop paying for Stephen's day care." He threatened.

"Fine, I'll let him know." I hung up, groaning loudly, as I dropped my head down to my desk.

OoOoO

I got home a few hours later, dragging a bunch of my high school students art projects. I stepped in the door, tossing them onto the kitchen table. I saw Jace sitting in the middle of the living room with disheveled hair, wide eyes, and distressed face. I laughed, as Stephen ran in circles around the room, flinging his hands around in the air.

"Stephen, I think you are going to kill your dad." I caught him, lifting him up in my arms.

"Oh my gosh! I had so much fun. Can daddy watch me every day?!" Stephen squealed, squirming around in my arms.

"I don't know if daddy would be up for that." I snickered. "You go shower." I pointed at Jace, setting Stephen down on the couch. He nodded slowly, getting up. "What did you do to him?" I teased, ruffling his hair.

"I drank his coffee when he went to the bathroom." He whispered loudly, glancing over at the hallway to my room.

"You are too young to drink coffee." I giggled, stroking his hair.

"Shhh you didn't hear anything." He shook his head, widening his eyes at me.

"Ok buddy." I patted his head, as I got up.

I started to grade art projects, which was almost painful sometimes. These art projects were for art I, so most of them were not the best. I graded them on incorporating the elements, and not how it looked. Jace came out, slouching in the chair next to me.

"He was insane." Jace shook his head, rubbing his hand over his face. "I don't know if I can do this." He muttered.

"He drank your coffee, when you went to the bathroom." I held his chin, making him look at me. "Never leave coffee unattended. He loves it, and it makes him bounce off the walls. You did much better than I thought you would." I brushed out lips together, nuzzling our noses together slightly. "The first time he had coffee with me I fell asleep trying to handle him, and I woke up with magic marker all over my face and the walls." I assured him. "You did great." I smiled.

"Is there a picture of your face covered in marker?" He laughed.

"Shut up." I punched his shoulder, and went back to grading. "Go play with him." I gestured.

"In a minute." He glanced down.

"What's wrong?" I leaned against the table.

"I hardly know him. I missed his first word, his first step, and I just feel like sh- crap out it." He huffed, dropping his head back.

"His first word was mama, and I have a bunch of home movies of him as a baby, and a bunch of photo albums. It wasn't your fault you missed these things. You were 17. My dad shouldn't have had you dealing." I whispered, so Stephen couldn't hear. I shuffled through the art projects.

"Whatever." He got to his feet.

"My dad wants to see you tomorrow." I bit my lip.

"Why?" He furrowed his brow.

"I don't know, but he says he owns you and you don't have an option." I sighed, pursing my lips.

"Great." He muttered. "I'm going to play with Stephen." He slumped over to our son, and plopped down next to him.

oOoOo

Around 8 I tucked Stephen into bed, and he really wanted to stay up longer. I came back out, seeing Jace pour us some wine. "Thanks." I picked up a full glass, sipping it slowly.

"No problem." He grabbed his glass. "I love him so much." He grinned, sitting at the table.

"I know." I sighed. "I wish we could leave, and start over." I leaned against my palm.

"Why don't we?" He shrugged.

"My dad owns us, Jace. He could take Stephen away from us." I shook my head, taking a large gulp of wine.

"Of course he could." He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"I hate him as much as you do, but we are stuck with him." I groaned, playing with my glass. We sat silently for a few minutes, starring at each other. He got taller, widener, more beautiful, while I stayed pretty much the same. We spent a lot of time as kids just doing nothing, so sitting around was something that wasn't awkward. That was something I liked about us because just being around each other was enough.

"We should go on a date." His eyes skimmed up and down.

"A date?" A grin peeked across my face at his idea.

"Yes." He nodded, finishing off his drink.

"Ok." I agreed, standing up. I walked over to him, straddling his legs. I rested my hands on his shoulder, as tangled our lips together slowly. "I would love to keep going, but Stephen is afraid of storms, which means he's going to crawl into my bed with us." I brushed our noses together, wanting him badly.

"I'm not the one straddling your hips." He teased, rubbing my back gently.

"Shut up." I pecked his lips, heading back to our room.

**A/N: I forgot to say I do not own mortal instruments. Lol.**

**So I will post another chapter in 5-10 reviews.**

**If you have any questions feel free to ask.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I felt like doing a cute little thunderstorm scene. The reference Clary uses is actually something my parents used to tell me to make me feel better as a kid.**

**I don't know how long I'm planning on this being, but I'm hoping on a semi long story. I don't think super far ahead in these things. Once I start getting towards the end, I'll let you guys know.**

"Mommy." A small voice whispered from behind me. I grunted softly, rolling on my side to see Stephen. He was squeezing his stuffy with his big green eyes.

"Yes baby?" I stroked his cheek gently, seeing him shaking.

"The lighting is scaring me." He whimpered, stepping closer to the bed.

"Do you want to sleep between me and daddy?" I suggested, sitting up slightly. He nodded quickly, hugging himself. I swatted Jace in the leg. "Scoot over." I poked at him. He groaned, rolling on his other side, as I lifted Stephen into the bed. He snuggled down between the two of us, curling his head against my neck. "What have I told you about lighting and thunder are?" I soothed his hair back from his forehead.

"It's Angels bowling." He murmured, wrapping his little arm around mine.

"Yeah." I hummed. "The thunder is when the pins get knocked over, and the lighting is when the score lights flash." I trailed my fingers off his smooth cheek.

"Why is it so scary?" He sniffled, rubbing his eyes.

"It's not scary when you really think about it." I cooed, as a flash of lighting went through the house. He squeaked, burying himself against me. "It's ok." I kissed his head. "Close your eyes." I rubbed his arms, nudging my cheek against his forehead. "Daddy and I will keep you safe." I assured him. A few seconds later, I heard a soft snore from my son, and his arms slacked a little. I knew it was safe to sleep now, so I closed my eyes drifted to sleep with the two most important boys in my bed.

OoOoO

When I woke up, we were all snuggled up against each other. It was a really nice way to wake up. Both boys were still sleeping, which I was thankful for. I wanted to savior the way this felt. Stephen won't be like this forever. Actually, pretty soon he'll get to an age where he won't crawl into bed with me to protect him from the storm. Maybe when Jace and I get married, if we get married, we can try again. After hearing Jace say that he didn't know Stephen, I think Jace is going to want another baby anyways. He missed out on so much, and I can see that it hurts him.

Stephen began to stir, making Jace start to move. _Just a little longer_ I wished silently, but it didn't come true. Stephen's eyes fluttered open, looking up at me.

"Good morning, baby." I whispered, adjusting his stuff back into his arms. He grunted, rolling onto his back, and looked over at Jace.

"Daddy is lying on my arm." He squirmed uncomfortably.

"Come on." I picked him up, leaving Jace to sleep. We can take turns in the mornings. "Let's make him some breakfast." I suggested, padding into the kitchen, as I flicked the lights on.

"Ooooo what are we going to make?!" He bounced slightly; making me set him down on the counter. A grin was stretched across his whole face.

"Pancakes?" I wrinkled my nose, waiting for him to agree.

"Yes." He clapped, jumping down from the counter, which gave me a mini-heart attack.

"What did I tell you about jumping from there?" I scolded softly.

"Not to." He played with his feet.

"Ok, now let's make some pancakes." I ruffled his hair, pulling the mix from the shelf. I spent twenty minutes chasing Stephen around, stirring batter, and giggling around the kitchen. Jace emerged from the hall, massaging his neck.

"What's all this?" He chuckled, seeing the mess we had made.

"We made you pancakes!" Stephen piped up, holding the batter.

"We are attempting." I laughed, flipping the pancake I had in the skillet.

"I can see that." He walked up behind me, kissing my cheek.

"Hey, kiddo, give me the batter. You go watch cartoons, so I can clean up." I showed him into the adjoining living room. He hoped on the couch, playing around with the remote until his show was on. "I'm going to take him to daycare today." I removed a pancake from the skillet, glancing over at him.

"I didn't think I-" I raised my hand stopping him.

"It's not that you did a bad job. You have to see my dad today, and I'm going to go with you. They will watch him until 5:30. I can get all the baby photos and home movies out if you want." I suggested hesitantly, keeping my eyes on the batter that was now cooking.

"Ok." He shrugged, opening the fridge. He pulled out whip cream, and piled it on his pancake.

"You still do that." I snorted, shaking my head.

"Why wouldn't I?" He looked at me like I was crazy, which made me laugh.

"I'll pick you up at 3:30. Look decent." I ordered, as he drifted into the living room, waving his hand.

OoOoO

I drove us to my father's bar after school, dreading this moment all day. My father. He's a controlling psychopath, which is not fun to deal with. Honestly, if you look at me and him, you wouldn't even know we were related. He looks more like Jace then me. Another weird thing about our crazy mixed up mob.

My dad exited his office with open arms. "My boy." He hugged Jace. "It's so good to see you out of the slammer. I'm so sorry that happened." His eyes flicked over to me, furrowing his brow. "I said Jace not you."

"Well, I wasn't comfortable with leaving you alone with my boyfriend, who just got out of the _slammer._" I crossed my arms at him with a snarl across my face.

"I don't want him dealing again." He turned his attention back to Jace. "I want to send you to college. I need someone to do my books, and you used to be good at math. Therefore you are becoming my accountant." He explained calmly.

"Seriously?!" I exclaimed, exasperated at the idea of Jace being an accountant.

"Yes." He rolled his eyes. "Jace might as well be my son, and I don't want to see him in jail again." He shot at me.

"I'm right here. I don't like being talked about when I'm right here." He waved his hands in front of us.

"Sorry." I murmured, glancing over at him.

"It's ok." He rubbed my back lightly. "If I don't?" He asked calmly.

"If you don't, I won't stop you, but the chances of you staying in your home are slim." He threatened casually, like this was a normal conversation.

"Accounting sounds really boring." He huffed, ruffling his hair.

"But it's better than dealing or being my muscles?" He cocked an eyebrow up, starring him down. "The hours won't be too long. Four days a week when Clary is working at the school. I'll increase your weekly budget to compensate for you now living with them. Deal?" He held his hand out to Jace, and Jace shook it firmly. We started towards the door, but my dad told me to wait, making Jace leave me alone with him.

"What?" I sighed, holding my arms to my stomach. Suddenly, I hunched over with pain radiating through my cheek. I took a ragged breath, straightening back up. He gripped my chin, yanking him towards me.

"When I ask for Jace, I only mean him. If you show up when I ask for him again, you will get more than a slap." He released me, taking a step back. "Are we understood?" He seemed almost happy to have inflicted pain on me.

"Yes, sir." I murmured, hiding the fact that my cheek felt like it was on fire.

"You're coming home for thanks giving. Bring your boy toy and son." He gestured towards the door.

"What happened to Jace being your son, your boy?" I shook my head, not believing he just called Jace my boy toy. "Whatever." I rolled my eyes. "Do you want me to make any sides?" I gritted my teeth, balling my fist.

"Casserole would be nice." He smiled, striding back to his office. I rubbed my stinging cheek, making my way out the door. Jace was leaning against the door, as I approached him.

"Everything ok?" Jace asked.

"He invited us to thanksgiving dinner. That should be… Fun." I drew out, placing my hands on either side of him.

"Great, I get out of jail, and now I have to deal with mobster politics over turkey." He rolled his eyes, curling his fingers over my hips.

"I know." I scoffed jokingly, wrapping my arms around his neck. I stood up on my tip toes, brushing our lips together. He pulled away, biting his lip.

"For some reason I thought we would move past the making out in front of your father's office." He teased, drifting his hands to my butt.

"I would have sex in front of his office with you if I wasn't worried about getting a ticket." I glanced him up and down, as I played with the lapels of his jacket.

"We can always do it in the car." He shrugged, pecking my lips.

"We have to pick up our son." I groaned, closing my eyes. "And now that we have our own house, we don't really need to have sex in a car." I grabbed the waist of his jeans, pulling him against me. "When Stephen goes to bed?" I suggested, humming quietly.

"Oh, definitely." He nodded, tangling our lips together once more before we climbed into the car.

**A/N: Sorry, it took me a few days to post. I've been crazy busy these past few days! **

**5- 10 reviews before another chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The beginning of this is about Clary's life without Jace being there, and other consequences of him not being there because Jace wasn't the only one who had a hard time. **

I huffed annoyingly, as I stirred together my mixture for the casserole. I hate these _family _gatherings. Jace got out of jail a little over a week ago, and my dad was already forcing him to face everyone. I placed the food in the oven, turning on a timer. "You ok?" Jace wandered into the kitchen with me.

"I'm fine. I just really don't want to go to thanksgiving dinner." I sighed, leaning back against the counter.

"We don't have to go." His hand caressed my cheek gently, trying to reassure me.

"Yes, we do. If we don't show up, my father would be furious." I closed my eyes, nuzzling into his hand. I missed this feeling I get with Jace. I feel safe with him, which is something that I've been lacking for five years. He used to hit me when I disobeyed him as a kid, but Jace got him to stop. Then Jace went to jail, and he started again. It's not really bad, it's more of him getting a point across, but it stills hurts. I didn't want to worry Jace about it though. "He's hitting you again." He read my mind, shaking his head. "Your cheek was red when you left the bar." He huffed, stroking my cheek.

"It's fine." I moved away from his hand. "He doesn't leave marks, and he only does it when he's mad. His tactics have gotten a lot worse since you went away. A lot more people have been disappearing and showing up dead. It isn't worth it." I murmured, seeing Stephen skipping between the kitchen and living room.

"You're an adult, Clary. He shouldn't be controlling you." His eyes showed the pain he felt for me.

"He controls me as long as we are dependent on him, which we are." I whispered. "I never said anything, but when I tried to wean off his money, He convinced a judge that I was competent to take care of Stephen. I had to live with him for another year. I had to sign a deal with him just to get our son back." I ran my hands through my hair, as I checked the time on the casserole.

"What?!" he exclaimed loudly, making me cringe. "Why wouldn't you tell me that?" He almost yelled. I shushed him, and placed my hands on his chest in hopes to calm him down.

"You dealt with your Hell, while I dealt with mine." I gazed up at him. "I didn't want you going off the deep end. It was right after I gave birth, and you gotten _assaulted_. I couldn't just pile this on with it. Ok?" I chewed on my lip, waiting for his response.

"You still should have told me." He exhaled, glancing away from me.

"We can finish this after dinner, and Stephen's asleep. Ok?" I played with the fabric of his shirt. I knew our peaceful times wouldn't last, and it seemed that a fight was simmering under the surface. I kept a lot of things from Jace while he was in jail, but I didn't do it to hurt him, I did it to protect him. I knew he wouldn't see it that way. He's an alpha male, and doesn't like being pushed around.

We are too stubborn for our good.

"Fine." He muttered. "I'm going to make sure Stephen put on the clothes we laid out." He strode out of the room, as I slumped against the counter.

Tonight is going to suck.

OoOoO

We entered my father's house with plastered grins. Stephen squirmed, seeing some of the other kids, and looked at me for approval to play. "Go on." I nudged him, smiling. He ran over to the kids. "I'll take this to the kitchen." I took the casserole from him.

"I'll be over there." He gestured. I nodded, heading to the kitchen.

"Clary!" I heard a female squeal, and tackle me in a hug. I laughed, hugging the woman back.

"Isabelle, you didn't need to attack me." I shook my head releasing her.

"Yes I did. The father of your baby has been released from jail. He's living with you." She held my hands. "Speaking of Jace where is he? I need to slap him upside the head for getting arrested." She threatened, crossing her arms.

"No, please don't, we got into a little tiff before we came, and I know it's going to blow up when we get home. I don't need anything going wrong while we are here." I explained.

"Tiff? What happened?" She furrowed her brow.

"He talked about leaving town and stuff, which I would love to do, but you know I can't." I spoke in a hushed tone to keep others from hearing. Isabelle's face told me she understood. She didn't necessarily want to leave, but she was currently lying to her boyfriend about what she does. She isn't allowed to tell him, and it's killing her.

"He'll understand." She assured me, pursing her lips.

"I don't know. Jace and I's personalities make us butt heads sometimes, and I kept things from him, which is like lying by omission."

"You'll work it out. You two always make it." She smiled faintly.

"Thanks." I hugged her again. "I should go find him. He hasn't spoken to make of these people in 5 year." I crossed my arms over my stomach, walking to find Jace where he said he would be. I wrapped my arm around him waist, grinning slightly up at him. He draped his arm over my shoulder, as he kissed my forehead. "Have you seen Alec yet?"

"Nope." He rested his head against the side of my head. "I did have to tell a few people about jail because I'm the only person here stupid enough to get arrested." He scoffed.

"You need a beer." I patted his arm, feeling like I was walking on egg shells. I know that I didn't need to be, but I couldn't help it. I knew I had lied. I knew I needed to tell him.

"Everybody time for dinner." My father announced, leading everyone into the dining room. He stood at the front of the table, standing over all of us.

OoOoO

Dinner ended three hours later, and everyone dispersed, beginning to talk about life. Jace was speaking to Alec, while I talked to Isabelle. "Do you want me to take care of Stephen tonight so you and Jace can talk things out?" Izzy offered.

"That would be great." I sighed, hugging her. "He should be exhausted. I'll pick him up in the morning." I herded Stephen over to Izzy.

Jace and I left a few minutes later. We arrived home, and I wandered to our room to change into some more comfortable clothes. Jace had been extremely quiet since we left the dinner. I gritted my teeth when I heard him enter the room. "Why didn't you tell me that Valentine took Stephen away?" He leaned against the door frame behind me.

"You know why." I turned around, slumping back against the dresser slightly. "I just didn't want you to worry, and he didn't take him away. I still lived in the house with them."

"I deserved to know." He snapped, taking a few steps closer to me. "He's my son too. I don't need you protecting me. Every time you try to all you do is hurt me. I know this isn't the life we wanted, but-"

"Isn't the life we want?!" I exclaimed. "We are so far away from what we wanted. I can't do anything without my father breathing down my neck, and you were in jail. I was alone my entire pregnancy because my father wouldn't let me leave the house. He thought I was an embarrassment. I hated you for weeks after you were arrested because you left me all alone, which is why I didn't tell you because I didn't think you deserved to know." The words tumbled out of my mouth quickly and harshly, and I immediately regretted it when I saw his face. "I am so sorry." I ran my hand through my hair. I released a breath, waiting for him to say something.

"No you're not." He shook his head. "I am tired of living like this. I'm tired of your father! I'm tired of the secrets!" He raised his voice. "All I want is-" He made his way over to me, crashing our lips together. I whimpered, as he pressed me up against the dresser. I quickly tore at the buttons of his shirt, while he unzipped my skirt. My heart was pounding in my ears, wanting to know the end of his sentence, but I didn't want to pull away from this kiss to hear it. He directed me towards the bed, and laid me down on it. I tangled my fingers into his hair, but he grabbed my wrist harshly, pinning them over my head. For some strange reason I was really enjoying him restraining my arms.

OoOoO

We both laid next to each other completely hazed for at least 20 minutes. We were both waiting for the other one to speak, but so far we were quiet. "I'm sorry." He murmured, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Why?" I turned my head to look at him.

"I was a lot rougher than normal." He sighed, rolling on his side. His fingers played with my curls.

"I didn't mind." I shrugged. "I'm not made of glass. I'm not the same broken girl who went to bail you out." I breathed, locking eyes with his.

"Yes you are." He trailed his thumb over my lip. "You put on a very good front, but I see it in your eyes." he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, kissing me softly. "We are never going to recover from this if we don't leave." He pursed his lips, before taking a deep breath.

"We can't leave. He will come after us." I held the comforter to my chest, nuzzling my head against the pillow.

"The only way we can get out is if we turn your father in." He starred up at the ceiling, obviously thinking over his idea.

"How are we supposed to do that?" I furrowed my brow at him. "If anyone found out, they would kill us." I gripped part of my hair, as I leaned over him.

"But we aren't living now." He caressed my cheek, brushing our lips together slowly. "All I want is for us to live as a normal family, and they only way that this will happen is if your father is out of the way. I'll be doing his accounting. I'll see where all his money comes from. We can both gather information against him and turn it into the police. They have wanted to arrest him for year. I could talk get in touch with some contacts I made while I was in prison. Clary, we could be free."

**A/N: 5-10 reviews for the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews I wasn't expecting so many, so sorry this took a little longer then I thought. I've been thinking over the timeline, and I think this is going to be around 10 chapters because I don't want this to drag on and on.**

1 month later

Jace hadn't brought up turning in my father since he brought it up. I knew he didn't want to tell me about anything unless he was absolutely sure, which I was thankful for. I didn't want to get my hopes up. I was waiting for Jace outside the school, bundling up with my coat and scarf. I let Jace take the car during the day, after he drops me off, so he can go out and do things. He pulled up, and I climbed into the car with him. "I found it. I found our contact." He grinned, putting the car into drive.

"What? Seriously?" I widened my eyes in shock.

"Yeah took some time, but I found it. We are meeting him now. His name is Simon. He's been investigating our family for a while, but he hasn't gotten any information from anyone." Jace explained, pulling into another parking lot.

"Simon?" I muttered to myself, trying to place where I knew the name. We walked out of the car, and there was another car nearby. The man stepped out of the car. My breath rushed out of me when I saw the man we were meeting. It was Isabelle's boyfriend. "Oh my gosh." I shook my head. "You're a dick. You're using Isabelle. She loves you!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms.

"I- I know, and I didn't know who she was when I met her. I hoped she would tell me on her own, but I wasn't counting on it. Anyways that's not why we are here. You two have evidence against Valentine Morgenstern?" He changed the subject.

"No, but we can get some." Jace assured him. "But we need protection. We have a 4 year old son, and we don't want to be around this anymore."

"We can do that. I can get you guys on a sunny island together and clear your criminal record." Simon nodded, making me feel better. "But we need enough evidence that you don't have to appear in court because as soon as you turn in the information, I assume that you want to disappear?"

"Yes." I chewed my lip, not believing that this was happening. We were actually turning my father in. This is insane.

"That's fine. Here's a burner phone call me if you need anything, or when you have gather enough substantial evidence." He finished up, opening his car door.

"Clary, are you ok?" Jace murmured, tugging on one of my curls gently.

"I'm fine." I took a deep breath.

"You're shaking." He pulled me into his arms. "We are going to be ok." He kissed my temple, rubbing my back carefully.

"Oh." I looked at my hands, seeing that I was shaking.

"Are you cold?" He hugged me to him.

"No, I'm just scared that this won't work." I nuzzled my face into chest.

"It's ok. I understand." He stroked my hair, calming me down. "Let's go Christmas shopping, yeah?" He drew back, holding my cheeks. I nodded, as he headed towards the house.

OoOoO

A few days later it was Christmas Eve, and we were gathered again at my father's house. Stephen was asleep in Jace's arms, while we chatted quietly with others. We weren't able to get any info from my dad, but it was time for us to head home. We hugged everyone, and went home. I smiled down at Stephen, as I lifted him out of the car. "I'm going to put him to bed, and I'll meet you in the living room for another drink." I pecked Jace's cheek, heading down the hall.

"When is Santa getting here?" Stephen grumbled, peeking one eye open.

"Well he won't show up if your awake baby." I teased, laying him in bed.

"But I don't wanna sle…" He was out cold, as soon as his head hit the pillow. I snickered, walking to the living room. When I entered the living room, the place was lit up by the trees and a few candles. He was holding two wine glasses.

"Well this is nicer then I though a quick drink would be." I mocked, taking a glass from him.

"I thought it was about time I would do something nice for us." He smiled, looking me up and down. I nodded, sipping the wine. We stood in comfortable silence, while we drank our wine. I started to notice him fidgeting, and I couldn't help grinning.

"You ok?" I bit my lip, setting my empty glass out.

"After being together 8 years, I didn't think I would get this nervous." He chuckled, putting his glass down.

"What are you talking about?" I laughed softly, stepping closer to him.

"Nothing." He shook his head, crouching down. "I wanted you to open one of your presents now instead of tomorrow." He finished under the tree.

"Why? That's no fun." I pouted, as he handed me a small box. "I thought we weren't buying gifts for each other." I shot him a pointed look.

"This is for both of us. Just open it." He pressed gently.

"Ok. Ok." I giggled, taking the wrapping paper off. "You got me jewelry." I winced, seeing the fancy box.

"Open it." He nudged me. I opened it, focusing my gaze on the diamond.

"It's very pretty." I traced my finger over the band, and my eyes widened. It was a ring. I looked up, and I realized Jace was on his knee. I covered my mouth, forcing back a gasp.

"Clarissa Fray will you marry me?" He smiled with bright red cheeks. He was blushing.

"Oh my gosh." I exclaimed. "With everything going on I wasn't even thinking about this." I stammered, dropping my hands.

"Is that a yes?" He scanned my face.

"Of course." I tackled him, throwing my arms around him. We both went to the ground, and I kissed him heavily. "I love you so much." I peppered kisses along his jaw and cheeks.

"I love you too." He chuckled.

**A/N: Yay they are engaged. **

**5- 10 reviews for the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews. I'm sorry if the last chapter had any major mistakes. I had to type it quickly, and posted it right before I went to work. I was actually almost late, which would have been bad. This chapter is a transition into the next three chapters, and then it will be over. I wanted this story to be long, but I don't think these characters could do anymore then that without me repeating a bunch of things or it get boring. I have an idea for the next story I'm going to post. It's actually an old idea that I have mostly thought out and typed, but I have to repurpose it for this fandom because the other fandom isn't as popular, and the character still work.**

**Anyways here is chapter 7.**

**Oh and I don't know if I said this but I do not own the TMI characters just the plot.**

A few weeks later

I woke up completely smothered by Jace's body, making me feel safe and secure. I could have laid there forever with him, but my alarm was currently going on. I reached over the best I could, slapping the annoying contraption off. I tucked my arm back against my body, as I basked in Jace's warmth. If only he wasn't wear a shirt. he would be even warmer. I didn't want to move. I groaned, beginning to squirm around in his arms. "Stop moving." He moaned, nuzzling his head into the nape of my neck. I giggled.

"School starts today. I have to get up." I laughed quietly, as he held me tighter.

"No, you don't." He sighed, turning me around, so I was pulled up against his chest. This position was just as comfortable as the other one. Why do I need job? I could just stay here all day with him.

"Yes I do." I nodded, brushing our lips together, when I remembered I was our only source of income. "Now let me go." I cooed, as I placed my hands over his.

"I don't know." He pecked my lips.

"I'm going to shower. You're going to wake up Stephen and make me breakfast." I flipped him onto his back, as I straddled his hips.

"Fine." He faked a groaned, rolling his eyes.

"What?" I pinned his arms above his head, mocking him. "Already bored of domestic life?" I brushed our noses together.

"Nope, I just want to stay in bed a little longer, and take advantage of this position." He weaved our fingers together, biting his lip, as his eyes focused on my mouth. We sat there silently for a few minutes, starring at each other. "Have you thought about us having more kids?" He asked softly. I leaned over him, and my hair surrounded us like a curtain. I nodded with a faint smile. "When this mess is over, we should try for a baby girl or something." He grinned up at me.

"Or something?" I snickered, kissing him one more time, before I got up.

"Well a baby girl would be adorable. Your hair. My dashing smile." He crawled out of bed, tugging on his t-shirt.

"That would be one beautiful girl." I teased, grabbing some clothes from the dresser. "Make me breakfast." I pointed at him, as I walked into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, and made my way to the kitchen where Stephen was digging into a plate of eggs, as Jace plopped something on another plate.

"French toast and black coffee." He grinned, sliding it across the island to me.

"You are a glorious man." I mused, climbing into my seat.

"I know." He did an outrage hair flip, as he sat next to me with a plate of eggs.

"Shut up." I punched his arm, forcing back a smile. He laughed, kissing my cheek.

OoOoO

I got to school with a big smile on my face. I had gotten engaged, and now Jace wanted more kids. We were so close to a real family. There was only one thing in my way, my father. Soon we were going to be able to move on, and live on our own. I couldn't help being excited for when that chapter of our life begins. My ring weighted heavily on my hand, as I entered the art room. I hadn't told anyone yet that we were engaged. It was just for us, but now that I was in a public place it looks like everyone was going to know now. Nothing was going to ruin my day today, except one thing, and of course that one thing happened to me.

"What?" I snapped, holding the phone to my ear.

"That's no way to address your father." Valentine snarled on the other end.

"Hi, dad, is there something you need?" I produced a kind voice that sounded completely sarcastic.

"You have to accompany me to dinner with our clients tomorrow night." He ordered.

"Do I have to?" I sighed, sliding into my chair. I tried to sound annoyed, but really this was a perfect opportunity to get evidence on my father.

"Yes, and that the end of discussion." He hung up, and I tossed my phone lightly over to the desk. One step closer to our dream. I squealed to myself, bouncing in my seat like a toddler. I was ready to be average. I was ready to be normal. I was ready to be married. I was ready to be pregnant again. I was ready to feel safe everywhere I went. It couldn't happen soon enough.

Even though things didn't work out the way we originally planned, it was probably for the better. There was no way Jace and I could have raised a baby on our own. It is disappointing that Jace missed out on watching his son grow, but he's here now and we can have more kids.

When Stephen started to get bigger and I started to teach, I began missing the feeling of having my baby in my belly. He was always there with me, and now he was growing up. He didn't need me as much anymore, which I know is a natural thing to happen, but it feels like only yesterday he was born. So much of our lives have been taken away from us. It isn't fair that all this happened to us. I missed watching Jace turn into a man, while Jace missed me becoming the mother of his baby boy. None it was planned or reason. It all just happened, like a storm. Now that we had a way out it felt like the storm was about to settle, leading us into serenity

**A/N: They are so close to having their lives set back into place. I'm so excited for them! **

**Thanks again for reading my story!**

**5-10 reviews for the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ok here's the third to last chapter. I'm sorry that this is shorter than the others, but there was a certain way I wanted to end this chapter.**

The next day I stood in the mirror, curling my hair. My hair was naturally curly, but it didn't look very tamed. I glanced in the mirror realizing my hands were shaking. I quickly set the curler down; wringing my hands in hopes it would stop. What if I can't pull this off? Jace won't be there with me. I'm going all alone. I took a steady breath, as I heard footsteps approaching the bathroom. "You ok?" Jace leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"I've been to a tone of these since my mom died, but I've never had anything riding on it." I sighed, gripping the edge of the counter.

"If you don't want to do it tonight, you don't have to. I'm going to have evidence in a few months anyway." He walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. I leaned into him, feeling the comfort of his heart beating steadily against my back.

"We can't wait a few months. We've been waiting 23 years. I'm tired of waiting." I looked up at him, and he kissed me softly. I moaned, when he drew away from me. I sunk into him, placing my arms over his.

"Ok. I'll keep my phone on me. If you need anything, call me." He brushed his nose against me ear, assuring me that he was there for me.

"Ok." I nodded, turning my gaze back to the mirror. He nuzzled his head against the nape of my neck, pecking under my jaw.

"Good." He hummed, as he released.

OoOoO

I squeezed my clutch tightly, as I slid into my father's car. Normally I don't bring a bag with me, but I had to keep a recording device on me. It was disgusted as a little make-up compact. We sat in awkward silence on the way to the dinner. I hate these dinners because I don't like any of these people. They are all mass criminals, selling drugs, weapons, or stolen good. The entire meal is the men talking about their plan on getting the goods spread around the area, while the wives talk about their adorable lives. Most of them are house wives. I am an unmarried, working woman with a son, while my boyfriend is an ex-con. I get judged a lot by these women, and it sucks.

We arrived a few minutes later, and they welcomed us into the home. I smiled tightly, sitting down at a table. "Clary, how is your son doing?" Jia faked a grin.

"Great, especially since Jace came home a few weeks ago." I responded kindly, slipping my trench coat off, and handed it to her husband. He hung it in the closet. We all ventured into the dining room where another couple I wasn't familiar was. I sat down next to my father, and the food was served.

A few hours we were all standing in the living room. The woman had wine, while the men bourbon. We were both kind of separated groups, but I left my clutch on the table by the men. I began hearing them bicker.

"Those men." Jia scoffed. "Probably taking about whose gun is bigger than the other." She teased. We brushed it off, and continued chattering about pointless things, until we heard a gun get pulled. I flipped around, seeing my dad hold a gun to the man I hadn't met before.

"Dad what's going on?" I took a step closer to him, suddenly feeling in danger.

"This man is stealing from me." He glanced back at me, not caring about my distress.

"Could you please deal with this-" My sentence was cut off, when my father shot the man. I yelped, clasping my hand over my mouth, and squeezed my eyes shut. He just shot someone. The man's wife screamed, and suddenly I head another gun go off. No one else appeared to be shot, but then I realized a stinging pain through my side. When I looked down, I saw blood covering my dress. I felt my eyes roll back into my head, as I fell.

**A/N:** **Again sorry it was short, and sorry I left it with a cliffhanger. For all of those who said this dinner would be bad congratulations!**

**10 reviews for the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

I blinked rapidly, realizing that this was real. I looked up, seeing that I was being supported up by my father, and that we're were still in the house. The woman who shot me was dead, so I guess I blacked out that part. I grunted gripping onto my side, as pain ripped through my body. Why couldn't I be unconscious again? "We have to go." He hoisted my up slightly, making me yelp loudly. My breaths were coming out in pant, and I felt like if I moved I would die.

"My purse." I rasped, not wanting to leave it behind. I don't want to stay here any longer then I have to, especially now that I got shot. I've never been in the cross fire before, and I wish I never was. I shouldn't have come to this stupid dinner. I could have said I was sick.

"I can get you a new purse." He started towards the door.

"No, it has my engagement ring in it." I snapped, cringing over slightly, as I broke away from him. There was no way I could walk on my own, so I pretty much fell into wall. He barely caught me before I hit the ground, and sat me how in a chair by the front door.

"Fine, I'll get it. Stay here." He groaned, stomping into the other room. Since he was gone, I slipped my ring off, putting it in my cleavage, so it didn't look like I lied. He came back second later, lifted me up, and dragged me to the car. "Keep pressure on the wound." He commanded, as he drove down the road. I did as he said, feeling hot tears pour down my cheeks even faster. It hurt so much to keep my hand on my side. I thought giving birth was bad. This was much worse.

"Where are we going?" I panted, seeing unfamiliar scenery. He didn't respond. I wonder if he even heard me. He looked absolutely furious, and he was driving dangerously fast. I looked down at my hand that was covering the bullet wound, and blood was seeping everywhere. I squeezed my eyes shut; trying not to think about how much blood I've lost in the last half hour.

"Open your eyes." He ordered. I cracked them open, realizing it was hard to keep them that way. I wanted them to close. I wanted to slip back to unconsciousness. "Your mother would never forgive me if I let you die too." He muttered. "So keep your eyes open." He snapped.

"Ok." I murmured, trying my best to keep my voice steady. He pulled into a bars parking lot, and climbed out of the car. He flung my door open, shifting me out of the car, and pulling me to his side. I felt like a rag doll. Everything hurt even more with every step I took. "Why are we at a bar?" My voice croaked, as I winced.

"I know a guy who can take care of bullet wounds here." He explained, pushing us through the doors. My dad called out to someone, who led us down to a basement with poor lighting. I felt like I was going to get some crazy disease in this room. My dad picked me up, placing me onto an examining table. I cried out in pain, laying back.

"Move your hand I need to see what I'm looking at." My dad's friend rolled over in a wheely chair with magnifying glasses on. Reluctantly I removed my hand, seeing even more blood come out. I grimaced, dropping my head back against the table. He grabbed a walkie talkie, telling someone I needed some O blood, and began ripping part of my dress. I whimpered, feeling extremely overwhelmed by everything that was happening to me. I flinched heavily, when he touched my skin. "You can't move. It could cause more damage." He flicked us eyes up at me.

"Sorry." My voice squeaked, as I bit my lip to keep from screaming. I chewed so hard I was beginning to taste blood, and he hadn't even touched the wound. "Dad, can you please call Jace for me?" My lip was quivering heavily. I need Jace.

"Bit on this." The man handed me a strap of leather. I took a ragged breath, putting it in between my teeth.

"I called Jace." My dad assured me. The man drew out a pair of tweezers, making me clamp my eyes shut. He started to dig into the wound to get the bullet out, and my scream was muffled by leather thank goodness. I gripped onto the seat, hoping it would make the pain go away. It didn't. I thought getting shot hurt, getting the bullet out hurt even worse. It was so excruciating. I couldn't help the idea of maybe kicking this man in the head, but I resisted because it would probably hurt me more. I sobbed violently, feeling sweat drenched the cloth I was wearing. Relief whooshed over me, as the plyers were removed from the wound. I panted heavily, dropping my head back. I heard the removed bullet clang into a metal bowl. Him dressing the wound felt like nothing compared to that.

After everything was cleaned up, I was left alone in the room. I went to couch it, but my body recoiled from my fingers, when I moved my finger around it. I huffed, not believing that I got shot. I'm going to have to see a real doctor after we turn my father in. I need to know if I hit anything vital. It hit my side, probably near my uterus. If we can't have kids because of this, I'm going to freak out.

The door opened, and I whipped my head around to see Jace. "What happened? Your dad wouldn't tell me anything." He was so panicked.

"I got our evidence that's what." I tried to sit up, but I fell back down onto my back with a whimper.

"I'm just glad you're ok." He cradled my cheek gently.

"Me too." I sighed quietly, nuzzling into his hand.

"I got your purse." He opened it, making sure the compact was ok. "I'll call Simon tomorrow. Hopefully we can leave in the next month." He assured me, kissing me lightly.

"Thank goodness."

**A/N: So here was the second to last chapter, and I'm excited for this to come to an end in the next chapter**

**10 reviews for the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here is that last chapter! It's more of an epilogue though. I'm excited this wonderful story is coming to an end, and please try to read my next story A Royal Pain.**

8 months later

I walked down the street market, cradling a basket in one arm, while my other hand was grasping Stephen's. A cool breeze blew through my hair, whipping my sundress around my lower thighs. I took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air surrounding us. I have never felt so free and calm. Jace had apparently call Simon on the way over to pick me up after I got shot. The second my father stepped out of the building, he was arrested. Everything happened so quickly after that. We didn't get to take anything with us, and started over completely in the Bahamas. Simon set me up with a job at the local elementary school, while Jace got a job at a boat repair shop. We had a quaint little house on the beach, which was covered in windows. Once we got settled, we got married on the beach.

I picked up a mango, putting it to my nose, so I could smell the freshness. I smiled, feeling its firmness. "Should we bring daddy some mangos for lunch?" I ruffled Stephen's hair, sliding my other hand down my now rather large stomach.

"Yes!" He bounced, squeezing my hand tighter. I grinned down at him, paying the woman at the stand, so we could head towards the docks. My fat stomach made me feet swollen and my legs hurt, but I still wanted to stay more active. Jace didn't like it when I was on my feet too long because I'm so small. I tugged on Stephen, leading him through the crowd to the docks.

I saw Jace waxing the side of a boat shirtless. I bit my lip, watching his muscles coil and move under his skin. I shook my head, realizing that I was in public, and that I needed to get my baby hormones in check.

"Jace!" I called out, stopping just before the dock. He paused, glancing over at us.

"Hey." He wiped his hands on his pants, making his way to me.

"Hi." I smiled.

"What are you doing here? You should be resting." He rubbed my stomach gently, pecking my cheek.

"I'm fine." I rolled my eyes, handing him the basket. "I brought you some lunch."

"Thanks." He kissed me softly. "Hey, little buddy." He crouched down by Stephen, talking softly to him for a few minutes. "I should be home in about an hour. Go home and lay down." He chuckled.

"Ok." I hummed, tangling my fingers into his hair to pull him into a kiss. "I love you." I breathed, waving my fingers, as I backed away.

"Love you more." He called after me.


End file.
